Anyone using Gabapentin

Anonymous

I have experienced severe pain and numbness in both my feet and hands since completing my chemo 18 months ago. Today I was given an RX for Gabapentin. I am suppose to start the drug this evening but first decided to do a Google search - scary. Has anyone taken this drug, if so, did you experience any "unpleasent" side effects? 

OG56

I have taken 300-600 mg every night for 2 years. The only SE is it makes me nice and sleepy, helps the burning feeling in my hand and miracles of miracles no night time hot flashes when I take my gabapentin. My mom takes it for back pain and she to does just fine. Hopefully it will decrease the pain in your feet and hands and give you the additional good SE's too.

Anonymous

Thanks Linda    

I read the SE and it scared me, i.e., depression, weight gain, thoughts of suicide, etc. I thought I'd better wait a day or two and see if anyone had a bad experience. It would be so great to be able to get a food night's sleep, without that burning and hot flashes. I am to start with one pill, then increase it to 3. I can go up to 6. 

Brenda_R

I took it for awhile after chemo, due to neuropathy in legs.

I don't recall having any side effects. I took it at night when I went to bed.

OG56

I just wanted to add that some of those SE I believe are for people who took it for seizures at really high doses. I understand your concerns though I am scared to take anything...

sisterinspirit

L4L,

I think it's worth a try.  Everyone is so different in how they react to a medication.  I agree start at low dose and monitor your reaction.  I had terrible nerve pain in my upper arm that developed midway through rads.  On the good side, I slept really well and it helped my pain to some degree.  On the bad side, I had a lot of fatigue and brain fog.  Couldn't concentrate worth beans!  Good new, was able to go off of it after 6 months and naproxyn does a good job of controlling imflamation.  Brain fog now gone.  Yeah!  Hope things work out well for you. 

Juli50

I felt a little off balance when I took it, but loved the decrease in hot flashes!

hugs

sheila888

I have been taking the pill 300mg before bed time.

I am on this medicine for several years. I never experienced any side effects, it just make me sleepy. But I was never prescribed for the reasons you mentioned it. I guess it must be a miracle pill for every symptom.

Good luck ladies

Anonymous

Deb

Question regarding the "brain fog" - was that all day or just after taking the drug.

I decided to change professions and enter the teaching field last Jan. As I was the last hired, I was the first to let go - economy or so I was told. (Personally, I believe it was the BC and my request to not work OT when I had a medical appointment or scan)

I am taking a Psych class this summer. My chemo brain is making this info had enough to retain without having brain fog, or MORE brain fog. If it's just at night, who cares, if I can get some sleep. 

sisterinspirit

Lady,

Brain fog ebbed and flowed during the day.  I had a hard time getting out of bed.  Would take a couple of hours to get with the program.  Was better during the day and then worthless after 4:00.  I live in the rural west, so rads was a 4hr drive each day which really took a toll on me.  Fortunately had a driver for the last 4 weeks.  I also have fibromyalgia which I think made recovering from rads a slow process and added to the brain fog. Developed lymphedema during rads which didn't help.  When I went off the gabapentin, my energy and brain fog improved considerably.

 All said, gabapentin could be very helpful for the pain you are feeling in your hands and feet.  I know the risk of side effects can be scary, but it can't be any more scary than having gone through chemo!  Whatever you decide to do I hope you can find the relief you need soon!  Take care.

cmharris59

I have been taking Gabapentin for over a year now for neuropathy from the taxol. At first, I started with 300mg 3X/day. Because it didn't help the pain they increased my dosage gradually to 900mg 3X/day.  Due to CHF from the Herceptin, they worried about the se of fluid retention.  They decreased my dosage back to 300mg 3X/day.  6 months later, I was still in a great deal of pain from teh neuropathy.  I am now seeing a pain management specialist and am taking Gabapentin 300 mg 3X/day, Methadone twice a day and Percocet twice a day and more if needed. 

 It never helped me sleep.  As far as depression and suicidal thoughts, I already had those so couldn't determine an increase.  As for brain fog, I also have chemo brain and had it before the Gabapentin so cannot determine if it has increased or continued due to the Gabapentin. My hot flashes were not helped by the Gabapentin.   My balance has been bad ever since the taxol caused the neuropathy.

Anonymous

cmharris

My gosh you are on a lot of pain meds. I have been given 4 or 5 different types prior to the Gabapentin, and none of them have worked much, except for emptying my stomach (vomiting).

I've had 9 surgeries in the last 2 years and was given VIcodin, then another version of w/o the Tylenol, Percocet, Oxi, and one or two others. The pain did not seem to lessen much, maybe slightly,  but all did a job on my stomach so I just accepted the pain.

Now, with the addition of back pain (new injury) the foot pain/burning, and pain in my chest, I really need something or I'll never get sleep. 

AnneW

Hi, Jean,

I took gaba for about a year, for a nerve trauma post implant exchange. Nerve pain just sucks! I started about at 900 mg a.m. and 600 mg p.m. The worst I suffered was 5 pounds or so of weight gain. No brain fog (unlike Lyrica, which I tried first--made me spacey and impulsive, like a drunk!)

I was able to stop the gaba about a month ago, after I got the implants out. The weight came right off.

I sure slept better on gaba, and had nary a hot flash! And, it kept some lumbar disc pain under control for me, too. That drug gave me my life back.

Anne

Anonymous

Anne - Did you have your reconstruction expanders removed or was it your final implants? I am still having pain from my implants and everyone I talk to said they felt pretty natural to them within months, except for the numbness. I feel like I have something glued on my ribs and it hurts.

About a month ago, I think a week or two after my regular CT/PET scans, I injured my spine, L3,4,5, and some disc issues. I guess it was good I had the scans right before because the xrays show a marked injury. The pain in that area was the reason I finally gave in to pain meds.

Last week I finally saw the neurolgist after waiting - forever - for a referral for the nerve pain. Both my PCP and the Neuro are concerned that the pain(and heat in my feet) are being caused by 2 things either diabetis or chem-induced. She wants me to start the Gabapentin with 100 before bed, then increase it 100 each day until I reach 300, stay there for a few days then continue, if needed, until I reach 600.

The fear of cancer, (gee of the linings of our organs) along with "foggy" thinking is scary. I swear since my chemo my brain just is not working correctly. I am very forgetful. If I take any other drug right now I might never remember anything about Psych for class. 

SoCalLisa

I take Lyrica for neuropathy..I tried the neurontin ( gabapentin) and it didn't work for me..

cmharris59

I also took Lyrica and it did not help my neuropathy and also caused issues with fluid retention for my heart.  The docs had me on Vicodin and Percocets and Oxycontin before they sent me to a pain management clinic. Opiates in general cause me to vomit and in some cases have hallucinations. I cannot take Morphine at all.  The methadone since it is a synthetic opiate does not seem to give me those problems. Th eonly issue I have is that I develop a rash if I am off of them for a period and have to go back on tehm. It takes a couple of weeks to clear up.   I can definitely tell teh difference in pain levels on teh methadone. Methadone is apparently the only opiate drug that actually targets nerve pain. Or so my pain doc tells me.  I feel very fortunate that I was referred to him adn we are getting my pain under control. I am still not working adn still have mobility issues but my pain is lessened.

I have had 2 surgeries, AC, Taxol and Herceptin and awaiting my final surgeries. I developed neuropathy from the Taxol and it is severe and permanent. I also developed Congestive heart failure form the Herceptin and had to stop treatment.  I have not worked in 2 years and my doctors do not think that I will be able to return to work due to the complications.

 Good luck with your pain. 

jancie

I got shingles while taking dose dense A/C.  My oncologist put me on Gabapentin 100 mg per day for the nerve pain.  He also said it helps with neuropathy.  I took Gabapentin the entire time I was on Taxol (4x dose dense).  I don't know if the Gabapentin helped prevent getting neuropathy or not but if I did get a mild form of it I never felt it at all and believe me I got every side effect known from both chemo drugs plus some.

The gabapentin didn't help me sleep at all.  I still was dealing with insomnia the entire time I was on it.  I don't know if it was because I was taking a low dosage that it didn't help me sleep?  I took the gabapentin for two weeks after my last Taxol treatment.  I had severe side effects from Taxol - all of side effects you could get except for neuropathy. 

pod1257

I took Gaba for about 4 mths for hot flashes. It did help the hot flashes, but I am one of the few who could not tolerate the SEs (surprising, as I usually do just fine with meds). Anyway I took a low dose, 100mg 3x/day.

I had major balance problems, and often felt like I was going to fall. Also just a spacey, out of it feeling. Going off it was difficult too. - for 72hrs, I had severe headache, nausea and agian feeling weird, not like myself.

 I do know gaba has a short half-life and it is important to take it on time, as some people who are more sensitive to it, may have SEs.

Julie

ktym

I've been on it about 6 weeks.  Miracle drug for me.  Helped with the neuropathy pain and the hot flashes.  Helps a little at night with the insomnia, but only a little

bethgg

After 9 months of my  surgeon telling me that the sharp pains at my mastectomy site were "normal" and I should just wait it out...my primary care doc wrote me a prescription for Gabapentin.  I take it at night (400 mg), it helps me sleep and it as drastically reduced the pain.  With the reduction in pain, I'm not constantly thinking about the fact that I'm missing a breast and so it helps emotionally too.  I'm a little groggy in the morning...but who isn't?  No nasty side effects.  Hope it works for you.

Anonymous

Julie

I also had a balance problem, until I read your statement, didn't realize it started with the start of the Gabapentin and has now stopped since I stopped the drug about a week ago. I was always in a daze, "fog". Since I stopped it I have, like you, felt very strange. I thought it might be because of my upcoming surgery (day after tomorrow).

I saw my Neurologist this afternoon. She was unaware that my PCP had stopped the Gabapentin. I also saw my Oncologist last week. He told me when he gives Gaba, he sometimes gives up to 3000 mg a day. I was horrified knowing how badly I reacted to the 300. I joked with my neurologist and told her I'd probably never get out of bed with that much in me. Evidently that is a side effect (extreme fatigue) with most all of the drugs for our chemo pain. She gave me a 10-day supply of Lyrica. My Onc did not want me to even try it as he feared swelling of my legs and therefore increase in my BP for which I am already taking 5 pills a day to control.

I was hoping this Wednesday surgery would be my last. It's nothing big, just "tweaking" my reconstructed breasts. Just a "Nip & Tuck", and a little plumping of my flatten nips. My neurologist explained that the pain and burring might not be caused by the chemo but might be diabetes. She's waiting on the results of my blood work.

She did address the numbness in the front section of my feet. She thinks it has nothing to do with chemo or diabetes, but is similar to carpal tunnel (in the wrists), only this is the nerve in my feet. As I am also being treating for the spine problems, I asked if it could have anything to do with my spine issue. NOPE. This is not a big thing, just TWO more surgeries. 

I looked her right in the yes and said - NO WAY. Even if this "tweaking comes out badly and I have a third boob on my back - no more surgery! This one will be the 10th in 25 months, I need no more surgeries, especially to address numbness.

Jean 

huntersmom

I had extreme pain on my inner upper arm along with a rash - I have been taking this med for about 6 mos and have no SE's from this at all....

Anonymous

HI Hunter's mom

Do you mean after you started the Lyrica you started having the pain and rash, or you were taking the meds for the rash and pain?

I am having surgery tomorrow so I will not be starting the Lyrica until Friday. 

nas14

I have been taking gabapentin 300mg/3xdaily for 9 years with no noticeable side effects. It was prescribed to help with the leg nerve pain that didn't go away after my 4th & 5th surgeries two months apart in the fall of 1999. I also had to take methadone 4x daily in order to help me deal with the excruciating pain. I was pretty much catatonic during those 2 years, but it was the only thing that got me through that horrendous time. Finally, after 2 years I was able to go off the methadone when the nerve pain lessened to a more manageable level. After the surgeries I was left with neuropathy in both feet. The gabapentin helps me deal with the pain that I will always have now. Have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer (very early, thank goodness) & just started radiation this past week.

Anonymous

The Gaba did nothing for me except turn me into a zombie. Unfortunately. I had surgery last week and was in so much back pain, my surgeon was unable to get a real answer regarding the chest pain from his surgery. I will be having my spinal nerves burnt in a week or 2, as soon as I can lay on my stomach so they can work on my spine. 

The Gaba was for my feet and leg pain, but I had hope it would help the back as a SE.

 Good luck with you BC, please come here when ever you need someone to talk to, we are here for you.  - Jean 

SoCalLisa

I have been taking Lyrica for a couple of years now..after a few years on  the other...

it is a miracle for me

NanaA

I took gabapentin for 3 days and had swelling in legs and feet and had to quit.  It really made me sleepy.  I was taking one in am and one at bedtime.  I was taking for neuropathy from taxol .the neuropathy has considerably improved in the last few weeks.  My last taxol was May 19.  So about 3 month for SE to wear off.  About 2/3s of way thru rads.  Just 12 boosts left to go.  Dr. did tell me they gradually increase the dose of gabapentin until it gets to where it is effective.  My Dad has taken it for neuropathy for years. Good luck with the meds. Annette